MY BIG MISTAKE TODAY...

... has been making an amazing treacle tart supposedly for pud this evening, although it COULD be left until tomorrow, but which I have found so irresistible I have already had to give it a try - with a spoonful of pouring cream of course. I can honestly say two thing about it - 1) it is absolutely out of this world delicious and 2) it has made me feel like a right old chublet. Can't wait for Thursday when we get back to the 5:2 diet thing. Right now I have zero willpower!!

I AM SO TIRED!!

Probably naturally because of the build up to Christmas, the wedding, having my mother to stay, concerns about Christina etc etc. Same as everyone else I suppose, but I honestly feel like having an afternoon nap. How pathetic is that? Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz (Hmmm - thought I'd published this yesterday! What's going on?

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Not altogether sure what happened to 2013 to be honest. It's flown past in a whirl really. Unlike most New Years Eves we are going to be spending it on our own as Helen and Bill, who normally join us, have had such a hectic holiday with the wedding, Christmas, driving up and back for the family meal on Saturday and another wedding to go to at the weekend, have decided to stay put this time. So it'll be very quiet and will probably mean Christina going out and us sitting in front of the telly trying to stay awake. So exciting!!

DIDN'T WIN...

... but I think we played with heart and matched Arsenal pretty well, apart from the goal of course. Got a corned beef pie in the oven for tea. Simple but very definite comfort food - perfect after a match on a chilly winter day!

TOON, TOON...

... BLACK AND WHITE ARMY!! Howay the Lads!! Could be a cracking game today against Arsenal so long as the team gets itself sorted out from the very start and doesn't spend the first half hour faffing about like they did on Thursday. Wonder who the ref is today? Bet the decisions don't go our way like they did last time!

LOOKING FORWARD TO...

... dinner this evening at Jesmond Dene House with the other Ellis's, the Ogdens and the newly-wed Redpaths. Should be a really lovely evening. Good company, great food and wine. What's not to like!!

LAST NIGHT...

... I had the best night's sleep in months! Didn't even get up until nearly 9am. Very nice! I'm spending a relaxing morning watching yesterday's match with the girls. Christina needs to get out of the house and is spending the day with a friend and Charles is going to run a few errands and call in on his Mum - so I have the house to myself. I am so looking forward to this!!!!

AND... RELAX!!

I can't deny it - the last three days have not been easy. I can't remember the last time I felt under such stress for a number of reasons. I really think my mother has got to the age when she just doesn't care what she says, who she says it to and what impact her words might have. Christina has found the last two days extremely difficult. Her tension has been building since yesterday afternoon. We have no idea why and that in itself is so frustrating. One of the best bits this Christmas really was the second half of our match this afternoon. Dirty Stoke ended up with nine men on the pitch and a petulant manager in the stands and we certainly made the most of our advantage. Thanks NUFC and Merry Christmas!!

WEEKS IN THE PLANNING...

... hours of preparation, so much thought and attention to detail... ... and it's all over in a flash and sadly ruined by someone's thoughtless words. The level of tension in this house is sky high and I am tired of it.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

That's all I wanted to say really!!

WOULD IT BE WRONG...

... to strangle my mother tonight? Just asking.

CHRISTMAS EVE!!

Started off in the traditional manner - at SAKs!! Charles picked up the party food from M and S - and I actually didn't have to pick him up from the floor. (Mind you - I gave him the money, so that probably softened the blow somewhat!!( Mum has been on sprout duty - for quite a long time to be fair. They will be the cleanest, neatest sprouts ever. Christina has cleaned everywhere AND is keeping Nan entertained - so deserves full marks for that. Charles is seeing his Mum and doing the last minute shopping. (I didn't know that Mum can only drink non-sparkling Shloer! Didn't even know they did it!) Right, I need to go and make a fish pie for this evening's dinner...

WHAT AN AMAZING DAY!!

Let the pictures tell the story - or a tiny part of it!!

BIT OF A BLIP...

... in the light-hearted, pre-wedding mood today. Hope everything settles down for tomorrow. So, nails and hair are done, no thanks at all though to the foul weather which did it's best to ruin the hair. Everything is packed up ready for tomorrow. I've got the cake crated in two huge boxes. All we need now is to get it into the car safely. (Must remember to get the car off the drive first as the drop down the kerb won't do it any good at all!) We also need to get the girls' big crate into the car - presumably the Freelander - because I think they will feel more secure in the bed that they are familiar with. Hopefully, we can now relax a little and enjoy the Strictly final this evening.

BAD NIGHT!!

Absolutely all about the pungent smell of fake tan. Almost got up at 1.30 to have a shower but resisted the urge and managed to hang on till 6.00 when nothing would have prevented me from washing the stuff off. Will not be doing that again!! However, there are a couple of beauty type things on the go today - all in a lost cause at my age, but hey, one needs to make the effort. So hair and nails here we go! Before we set off to do that though I need to make sure all the jobs around the house are done as I have no intention of doing any housework with newly manicured and polished nails.

OKAY, SO THAT WAS A FIRST...

... and almost certainly won't be repeated. I'm referring to the spray tan I had this afternoon. On a cold winter's day this as really not my idea of fun. Freezing cold spray, horrid hairnet and paper knickers. Nasty stick on soles that almost tear the skin off your feet. Having to wear bag lady type clothes afterwards, including flip flops so you end up with frostbitten toes. Can't have a wash for the rest of the day. I particularly hate that bit because I'm pretty obsessive about always having a bath at bedtime (shower in the morning) and can't face the thought of going to bed, unwashed and smelling that horrible fake-tan chemical smell all night. Yukkity yuk!

THE GUY OVER THE ROAD...

... must be expecting visitors over Christmas, because he is putting the hoover round the livingroom. The last time he did the hoovering was THIS TIME LAST YEAR and I SWEAR THAT'S THE TRUTH!

THIS FEELS REALLY...

... STRANGE! I'VE ACTUALLY BEEN SITTING DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY, WONDERING WHAT I CAN DO NEXT!! Oops, take caps lock off would be a good start! Looking forward to a couple of days of pampering before the wedding, when my only worry will be getting the cake there in one piece. (Well, in two pieces actually as it needs to be fully assembled when we get there.) Have had my Mum on the phone this afternoon. She's so unhappy with her hairdo that she's considering turning up in a burkha. I have to say, wearing one of those would solve all sorts of issues. You wouldn't need to do your make up, wouldn't matter if you had spots, you could hide your wrinkles away instead of trying to prevent them and you'd never have a bad hair day again... Brilliant! Bring it on I say!

GOING TO BLITZ tHE HOUSE TODAY!!

At least that's what I'm planning on doing as soon as Richard and Charles are out of the way. Normally I leave the big blitz until closer to Christmas Day, but this year things are a little different as you know, and this appears to be my only window of opportunity!! I've tried to sort the fridges and freezers a bit to make space for the deliveries that are coming from Tesco and M and S, so that's done... ... Two hours later... ... they went out just as I was typing that last bit, so I've been rushing around like a mad thing, cleaning windows and skirting boards and generally having a good old workout!!

ALL DONE!!

Deliveries sorted. Shame there was no payment from Radcliffes though. Maybe the next time they place an order I'll just not bother to deliver it! Chares's brother is here for the night. I think they are going to see their Mum together tomorrow and that will probably be the last time Richard sees her before Christmas. I'm having a pretty domesticated day tomorrow, probably the last chance before the wedding on Sunday. And Christina and I have a couple of days of hair, nails and tan to look forward to. Bliss!!

I'VE DONE IT!!!!

Finished! Completed the mega-orders - with time to spare. All we need to do now is deliver everything in the morning and then it really is time for family stuff. Yay!!

IF I TOLD YOU...

... how much baking I'd done today, you really would not believe it. If I wasn't so shattered I would list it all, but as I've only just stopped for the day, I really honestly cannot be bothered. Not at all impressed with Radcliffes and Centurion, both of which have left their massive Christmas orders to the last possible minute, making life incredibly stressful for me. Thanks a bunch Guys (Hmm, GUYS - maybe that explains it. I still think they believe in the Cake Fairy.)

RATHER OVERWHELMED TODAY!

Actually, it's been a lovely day really. I've spent all day working on wedding favours with Helen and Christina and the end result is absolutely amazing. But in the middle of it all I got a text order from Centurion for a massive and unmanageable quantity of baked goods for the beginning of this week - including 18 quiche (144 portions) which may not sound much but is actually an absolute non-starter for me. I don't have the time, tins, storage space or, as yet, ingredients. The really worrying thing is that Radcliffes have still not placed their order and I know I'm going to have to sort out a fortnight's worth of stuff for them - by Wednesday! I honestly cannot do this.

JUST ABOUT...

... To settle the girls for the night. Hopefully, we won't have a repeat of the explosive diarrhoea Rose had at 2.00 this morning. I spent half an hour cleaning up the patio in my PJs and then couldn't get back to sleep for hours. Good to have Helen and Bill here, the weekend before their big wedding. Thankfully, they were overwhelmed by the cake, so I feel very relieved about that. Just need the bride and groom to love it too!!

ROSE IS POORLY!!

I hate it when the dogs are ill. Rose has had a really poorly tummy for the last couple of days, and hasn't managed to keep any food in place at all. She refused her breakfast, which is unheard of, but was probably a good thing because she clearly felt the need to starve herself better. She has had a tiny meal this evening and so far it's staying put!

OPTHALMOLOGY DEPT, RVI!!

Why oh why is this department so appalling at time-keeping? Yet again this morning I've left in disgust without seeing anyone because they were running two and a half hours late. Even people whose appointments were for 9.00 were still waiting at 11.30. How on earth can this be?

GOT UP...

... at 2.00am, basically because the girls were barking so I needed to sort them out, but on the way back to bed I called into the living room to check on the cake, decided I didn't like one of the tiers, so set to in the middle of the night removing all the sugarpaste and getting it back to the sponge ready for putting right in the morning!! I've made good progress with it today, although there was a scary moment when the dowel on one tier decided to move about a bit, so had to dismantle the whole thing and replace the dowel, and once I'd done that everything was fine. I've now added the decoration to the middle of the cake and only need to think about the top tier tomorrow, then it's done. Or at least it's done so far as I can get it until it's in situ at Langley Castle. (Quite scared about moving it to be honest. Will only be happy when its in one piece in position. Hopefully, Rachel and James will like it!) Would like to have a good night's sleep tonight mind you!!

WOULD LOVE TO KNOW...

...just how much the total wedding cake actually weighs, what with the boards, sugarpaste and decorations. I'm still in two minds about how far I can go with the assembly before we leave for the hotel - and how much there will still be to do when we get there. Considering it took a full day to secure the flowers and foliage around the base of the cake, I'm guessing it's going to be a case of doing as much as possible at home! All the cakes are now baked and should be sugarpasted tomorrow. After that, it's a question of which tiers I can realistically join together without the weight being too great. Decisions, decisions!!

GRADUALLY INTRODUCING CHRISTMAS...

... into our house. At the moment we just have a few lights up in the windows, nothing much, but it does look pretty. You know me, I don't really do decorations and like to keep it minimal, colour-coordinated with the decor, and easy to clean round. I can never get my head round the folk who decorate every inch of their living space as if their lives depend on it, or even those who insist on putting the tree up before it's even December. For me, the tree only goes up after 18th December when we are into Christmas week. A lot of that may be down to a bit of superstition and is associated with James being hospitalised with meningitis on 18th December when he was coming up to his third birthday - but it's a date I really have to get past before I feel able to start feeling Christmassy. This time in a fortnight my Mum will be here and we'll be sweltering in tropical heat as I try to keep her warm in the house. I'm actually worried about how I'm going to do this, having been to her house recently and realised that she has the thermostat so high that the radiators would actually burn you if you touched them and feeling sick with heat exhaustion after only a few minutes. I don't think anyone will be wearing Christmas sweaters in this house!!

MIDDLE OF THE AFTERNOON...

... the girls are flat out and Rose is snoring for England!! Honestly, how can such a little scrap make such a racket?

STILL CAN'T QUITE BELIEVE...

... yesterday's result. Hope James an co get home safely and without major hangovers, although judging by Matthew's facebook status I would imagine he is really suffering today. We've had a day of just doing little bits of things, but actually achieving a lot, if that makes sense. Just noticed "Home Alone" is on the telly right now. That's enough to make you feel Christmassy I think! Might even enjoy watching it for a while.

WHAT A RESULT!!

A Nwcastle victory at Old Trafford. Apparently this hasn't happened since sometime in the 70s!! Lucky old James and Matthew (less lucky Steven who supports Man Utd) were there, in a box. James rang me at the end so I could listen to our amazing away fans raisin the roof!!

NOTHING TO DO!!

No room in freezers, so can't do any baking despite having a massive order from Centurion for Monday. Can't do any more to the wedding cake yet. Christmas is all under control. Not sure how to handle this. Maybe this is what relaxing is about. Okay - so how do we do this?

HAPPY! HAPPY! HAPPY!

YAY!!! I've spent the morning working on the bottom tier of the wedding cake - and I'm loving it so far!! Obviously I hope that Rachel and James will also love it, but I've a sneaky feeling that they will!!

DON'T KNOW WHICH IS WORSE...

... watching the match or getting updates through twitter! A bit sickening that we gave a goal away just before the half-time whistle. Mind you, it really sounds as though Newcastle haven't really turned up at this game yet. Also there are a few rumours doing the rounds that Hatem has gone AWOL tonight. Hope not.

HAVE STARTED...

... work on the wedding cake today. Actually I really started months ago with all the flowers and foliage, but today I got the baseboard covered and marzipanned the bottom and top tiers. Just going to let those set overnight and then I'll do the sugarpaste on those cakes tomorrow. To be honest, once I've got the bottom, very large cake covered, I will be much happier!! Went to collect my voucher from Rutherfords this morning. Oh, I might not have mentioned it on here, but I actually wone £50 to spend at Rutherfords, simply by liking their status on facebook. I'm ridiculously thrilled about it though as I never, ever win anything. (Think I'll go and put the lottery on!!)

NOT SLEEPING TOO WELL...

... at the moment. Not literally at the moment as it's 7pm and I'm not in bed, but just generally most nights I seem to go to sleep really quickly and then wake up about an hour later and that's it for a couple of hours during which I usually end up reading. Today's been a bit of a disjointed sort of day with Charles making two trips into Gosforth and me going once, both of us going to see his Mum, shopping, baking during the morning and actually still going now, sorting accounts... I suppose it's been productive, but just feels a bit disorganised. It's one of our fast days today. Charles has decided to go for three fast days this week as he put a bit on after a weekend of over-indulgence. Good for him!!

JUST WANT TO SAY...

... that it has been a really lovely day with the family. Hard work, but loads of fun. Thank you all for coming. The next time we'll all be together will be for the Big Wedding on 21st December!! Can't wait!!